The 5 Cleaning Products I Can't Live Without

These five products are essential to keeping a clean home.

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As Director of Good Housekeeping Research Institute's Home Appliances and Cleaning Products Lab, the question I'm most often asked (after whether or not I clean my own house — which I do!), is: What products do I use at home? I'm lucky that I get to try many new cleaners as they hit the market, but I do have a few tried-and-true favorites that are always in my cleaning cabinet.

Courtesy of Spic and Span

Spic 'n Span Cinch Glass & Multi-Surface Cleaner
Nothing is more useful for cleaning everything from mirrors to stovetops than this truly all-purpose cleaner. I love how quickly it cuts through grease and how streak-free it leaves glass. I also use it to clean marks and smudges from painted walls and for after-dinner countertop wipes downs. Cinch was a top-performer in our recent test. (Check out the full results here.)

Bounty Paper Towel
I admit it: When I spill something, the first thing I usually reach for is a paper towel and my paper towel of choice is Bounty. It never disappoints. In addition to spills, I use paper towels when I'm removing fabric stains, to layer between pots and pans stacked in a cabinet, and even to make my own cleaning "wipes" when I need them. Bounty is a Good Housekeeping Seal holder and a top performer in our last test, too.

Courtesy of Guardsman

Guardsman Furniture Polish
A professional furniture refinisher first recommended Guardsman when my husband and I were purchasing our very first pieces of dining room and bedroom furniture. I've since visited the Guardsman headquarters and testing labs to witness firsthand the wood care expertise that goes into each product. The polish picks up dust without streaking and leaves furniture clean and residue-free. And for any dings and nicks that inevitably happen, I use Guardsman's Touch-Up Markers. They, too, were tops in our GHRI test of furniture scratch covers.

Courtesy of CLR

CLR Bath and Kitchen Cleaner
This is my go-to product for zapping the stains on bathroom fixtures that my hard New Jersey water leaves behind. It also cuts through soap scum, shines chrome, and whitens stained grout better than any other bathroom cleaner I've tried.

Courtesy of Procter & Gamble

Swiffer Sweeper
Swiffer is the tool that truly changed the way we clean, and I've been a fan from my very first swipe. Much as I love and use my vacuum cleaner, there are some places it just can't reach and, for those, I turn to my Swiffer Sweeper. I use it behind and beneath low profile furniture and on walls (yes, walls do get dusty). I also use just the cloth to clean television and computer screens and other delicate surfaces.

Now that I've given you a peek at my cleaning supplies, I'd love to hear which products you can't live without!